Strength training is like broccoli: we know it’s good for us, we understand it has to get done, but we don’t always want to do it.
Are jazz hands effective strength training for runners?
And because it’s a necessary evil (I’m showing my bias here – I don’t love strength training but it can be fun), runners don’t always get very good at it.
I understand. After all, we’re runners right?!
So when it comes to the finer details of weightlifting, endurance runners are often in the dark when it comes to:
- lifting heavy vs. lifting light
- long vs. short workouts
- lifting for endurance, strength, hypertrophy, or power
- Full rest vs. partial rest
- Upper body vs. lower body strength training
And I used to be one of those runners!
Early in my running career, I didn’t think runners needed to start lifting weights. We got enough strength from running, right?
No. Bad Jason! This is a very simple, incorrect, and limiting belief.
I probably would have been a much better runner if I didn’t mistakenly believe that strength training would not help runners.
In fact, strength training exercises have so many benefits for runners like faster finish times, better injury resilience, improved body composition (yeah, you’ll look better naked), and enhanced running economy.
Here’s some of the research:
- Strength training helps cure IT Band Syndrome (source)
- Women with runner’s knee have weaker hips than healthy runners (source – confirmed here)
- Resistance training improves trained runner’s economy by up to 8% (source)
- Explosive strength training makes your 5k faster by improved economy and muscle power (source)
- Weight lifting improves performance (speed), running economy, and muscle power (source)
So to help clear up any lingering confusion and get your specific questions answered, I’ve invited Tina Muir onto the podcast.
Tina Muir on Your Strength Training Questions
Tina and I teamed up to collect your burning strength training questions about:
- How often to get in the weight room
- What to do about excessive soreness from lifting
- Circuit workouts for strength training
- Upper body lifting
- Progressive overload vs. injury prevention
Tina is a former professional runner and the host of the Running for Real podcast (which recently surpassed 2 million downloads)! She’s also the author of Overcoming Amenorrehea. Get Your Period Back. Get Your Life Back.
Subscribe to the Strength Running Podcast in iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.
Resources & Links:
- Strength Training series
- Tina’s website
- Follow Tina on Instagram
- Lifting for endurance vs. power (video)
- SR’s free weightlifting ecourse
Thank You Inside Tracker!
This episode would not have been possible without Inside Tracker, who is offering a 10% discount on any of their tests with code strengthrunning.
They test over 40 biomarkers, like various stress hormones, to determine if you’re training too hard, too little, or have any physiological weaknesses that can be remedied by either diet, exercise, or lifestyle changes.
In other words, you learn about problems that have actionable solutions.
After getting your results, they communicate what you can do to lift or lower your results into the optimal range. For any runner who wants every advantage, to see what they’re truly capable of achieving, I highly recommend Inside Tracker. I’ve personally used their ‘Ultimate Package’ tier and loved the process and results.
Don’t forget to use code strengthrunning to save 10% on any test (including their affordable DIY and Essentials)!
